Arrangements are being made to secure land for State-owned National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP) to establish a CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) fuel plant in Tobago.

On Tuesday (July 14, 2015) at a media conference at the Administrative Complex, Calder Hall, THA Chief Secretary Orville London explained that the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) cannot run its new CNG bus service on the island because there is no CNG available in Tobago.

He did reveal though that NP has requested land from the Assembly (THA to construct the plant. The initial request for space at the Cove Eco Industrial and Business Park (CEIBP) was turned down because of issues with the size of the land allotted for that purpose as well as safety issues.

London has requested that the THA’s Land Management Unit meet with NP officials to decide on a more suitable site for the plant.

“It’s a no-brainer as far as we are concerned as to whether we are going to respond or not,” London stated. “Arrangements are being made for the Land Management Unit and NP officials to have discussion with a view to having the plant put down in Tobago, and that is something that we look forward to and we will collaborate with NP with respect to that.”

He said it will take some time for the station to be constructed and for the buses to come to Tobago. The PTSC is currently adding CNG-fuelled buses to its fleet in Trinidad.

In the interim, the THA will go ahead with plans to purchase 25 Volare buses from a Brazilian manufacturer to be used by maxi taxi operators, the PTSC and the Assembly.